Box construction



Se t. 8, 1931. P. v. SPINNER ET'AL 1,822,384

BOX CONS TRUCT I ON Filed May 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

I Sept. 8, 1931. P. v. SPINNPYER ETAL 1,822,384

BOX CONSTRUCTION Filed May 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 bled box. I v

Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i PHILIP V. SPINNER, OF WILMETTE. AND ISIDORE SPINNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS :Box' consraoc rron Application filed May 22,

i '5 ing cards and the like, and resembling a nicely bound book when closed.

Boxes of this character are preferably made in faithful reproduction of the book binding art, to the extent that the cover is made of the same materials and in the same manner as that for a cloth or leather bound book, While the container is a hollow box-like receptacle included within the cover and having its outer surfaces grooved and finished to resemble the cut edges of a book. The receptacle is preferably of wood and the problem of applying or binding the cover to the container has heretofore been a troublesome one on account of the absence of a satisfactory method of assembly other book.

The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a novel construction for containers of the character described, which not only simplifies the assembly, but provides a more substantial article and perfect imitation of a book. r

The novel features of the invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings'in which 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box. Figure 2 is a view in cross section through the box, with thetop cover partially raised. Figure 3 is aperspective view f the box in open position and showing the fly leaf. Figure a is apers'pective view of the cover prior to assembly, H q I Figure 5 is a perspective view of the re ceptacle and back-bone strip parted from each other.

receptacle and back-bone partially assembled, and I:

Figure 7 is an enlarged view in cross section through the back portion of the assem- Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cover,

1930. Serial No. 454,579.

As heretofore indicated, the covering of the box consists of a suitably colored and ornamented cover 1. made in the same manner as a book cover would be made in a bindery, namely, with a front and a back section 101 and 1b of a stiff cardboard foundation, and a thin and more flexible back section 10, the outer covering of cloth or .other prepared covering material being carried throughout all sections in the usual manner. VVithin the cover is a receptacle or shallow container 2 preferably made of relatively thin pieces of wood joined or mortised together at their ends to form a rectangular frame. The top and bottom of the wood frame are open, although a sheet of and board 3 is thereof:

In the assembled box the upper cover section 101 forms a hinged lid, while the lower section 1?) is fixed to the bottom wall of the container. Moreover, three sides or walls of the container are exposed, namely, the front wall 2a and the shorter end Walls 2?), 2b, the surfaces of these being treated as by grooving to resemble the edges of the contents of a book. About the three sides of the container the edges of the cover sections project a short distance, while the fourth or back edge is covered by the back cover section 10 and rounded as in a book. Now, between the back or concealed wall 20 of the container and the back section 10 of'the cover is a strip or block of wood a preferably applied to the bottom 5f termed a back-bone, which is inserted and the cover.

At this point it may be stated that heretofore the practice has been to nail or tack the back-bone to the back wall of the container frame, with its ends flush with the side or end walls, with the result that the nails invariably pulled out and it was quite impossible to conceal the joints between the W) ends of the back-bone and the rear edges of the end walls.

Now in the improved construction, it will be observed that the end walls 2?), 2b are extended rearwardly at 5, 5 beyond the back wall 20, and their edges rounded to conform to the rounding of the back cover section as well as that of the back-bone 4 which extends between these extensions 5, 5, and has tongue and groove connection at its ends therewith. Thus as shown in Figure 5, the extensions 5, 5 are provided with transverse grooves 5a, 5a extending across the ends of the back wall 20.

Thus as shown in Figure 5, there are formed in the inner faces of extended ends 5, 5 of the walls 211, 2a, transverse grooves 5a, 5a preferably formed by cutting the mortise grooves for the joints with the back wall 2?) slightly wider than the thickness of said back wall. At each end of the backbone 4 are tongues 4a, 4a extending along the inner or straight edges thereof, and complementing the grooves in the extended end wall portions of the receptacle.

Thus assuming that the receptacle has been completed but not assembled with the cover, it is apparent that the back-bone can be inserted into the space along the back wall and between the extended ends 5, 5 by sliding it in place edgewise with the tongues 4a, 4a engaging the grooves 5a, 5a. In this manner the back-bone is secured to the receptacle without the use of nails, and its ends are entirely concealed by the extended ends of the side walls.

Now, in applying the cover to the re ceptacle it is not essential that the bottom cover be loose, so the preferable method is to glue it directly to the bottom of the receptacle which has its bottom wall 3 of cardboard previously glued around its lower edges. The back section is also glued to the rounded surface of the back-bone, thus leaving the top cover free to swing as a lid for the receptacle.

But as in the case of a bound book, it is not sufiicient to merely glue the back-section of the cover, inasmuch as additional reinforcement is necessary along the hinged edge of the cover. Thus a strip of fabric 6 such as muslin is glued along one of its edges to the inside face of the back-bone 4 before the latter is inserted in place, so that when the container and back-bone have been assembled and the cover partially applied, there is a loose flap 6a projecting from between the rear edge of the back-bone and the back wall of the container and lying adjacent the hinged edge of the top cover section as shown in Figure 6. This flat is then glued to the inside of the top cover section adjacent the hinged edge and the usual inside covering-sheet 7 applied.

If desired, a sheet or leaf 8 may be inserted between the hinged top cover section and the receptacle, the same being glued to the outer face of the rear wall 20 before the back-bone is inserted. Moreover, this leaf is provided with a series of diagonally cut slits or slots 8a into which the corners of a card 9 may be inserted, the same bearing a picture or sentiment appropriate to the person or occasion of the gift contents of the box.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of our invention, we claim:

1. A container comprising a rectangular frame having relatively thin upright walls, and a cover for said frame including hinged top, bottom and back sections covering the top, bottom and one side of said frame, the walls of said frame at right angles to said back section being extended beyond the wall parallel therewith, and a back-bone strip 1nsertable between the extended ends of said walls and having tongue and groove connection at its ends therewith.

2. A container comprising a rectangular frame having upright walls, and a covering for said frame including top and bottom sections and a back section having hinged connection with one of said top and bottom sections, the walls of said frame at right angles to said back section being extended beyond the wall parallel therewith, a backbone strip insertable between the extended ends of said walls and having tongue and groove connection at its ends with the inner faces thereof, and a web of reinforcing fabric secured to said back-bone strip and secured along its free edge to the adjacent cover section along its hinged edge.

3. A container comprising a frame having walls joined at their ends, one of the opposite pairs of walls being extended at one of their ends beyond the adjacent transverse wall, a back-bone fitting into the space between said extended end portions and having tongue and groove connection at its ends therewith, a cover consisting of top and bottom sections and a back section having hinged connection with said top and bottom cover members and applied over said backbone, and a strip of reinforcing material having one edge secured between said backbone strip and the adjacent wall of said frame and secured at its free edge to the top cover section adjacent its hinged edge.

4. A container comprising a frame having walls joined at their ends, one of the opposite pairs of walls being extended at one of their ends beyond the adjacent transverse wall, a block fitting into the space between said extended end portions and having tongue and groove connection at its ends therewith, top and bottom cover members for said frame, an intermediate cover member having hinged connection with said top and bottom cover members, and adapted to be glued to the outer face of said block, and a strip of reinforcing material glued to the inner face of said block and having a free marginal portion and adapted to be secured to the upper cover member adjacent its hinged edge.

5. A container of book form, comprising a rectangular frame of upright walls, in-

cluded between a cover of stifi top and bottom sections and a flexible back section, said top section being hinged to form a lid, and

said back section extending over one wall of said frame, the walls at right anglesto the covered wall being extended therebeyond and terminating in rounded edges, and a backbone strip adapted to be inserted edgewise into the space between said extended Wall portions and having tongues at each end adapted to engage transverse grooves in the inner faces of the same, and a strip of reinforcing material having one edge secured to the inner face of said back-bone strip and its free edge adapted to be fastened to said top cover section adjacent its hinged edge.

6. A container of book form, comprising a rectangular frame of upright walls, included between a cover of stiff top and bottom sections and a flexible back section, said top section being hinged to form a lid, and said back section extending over one wall of said frame, the walls at right angles to 1 said cover wall being extended therebeyond and terminating in rounded edges, a backbone strip adapted to be inserted edgewise into the space between said extended end portion and having tongue and groove connection at each end therewith, and a cover leaf for the top of said frame having an edge secured between said back-bone strip and the adjacent wall of said frame.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of May, A. D. 1930. v

PHILIP V. SPINNER. ISIDORE SPINNER. 

